


A Year, A Hundred, A Thousand

by Bellflower



Category: Samurai Warriors
Genre: Gen, Implied Character Death, Implied Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 20:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellflower/pseuds/Bellflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fall had not been kind to the young woman, doing considerable damage to her already weary and battered body, and the heat of the flames was sapping away her last reserves of strength. But stopping was out of the question. She couldn't fall now. She <i>couldn't</i>.</p>
<p>She hadn't found him yet!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Year, A Hundred, A Thousand

She had to keep going.

Gracia stumbled between the burning buildings of her home, only just about managing to stay upright. She had poured all of her energy into fighting the invading soldiers mere minutes ago, keeping them away from her as best she could with fireballs and energy blasts, but even the deepest well of magic within a person's soul ran dry at some point. When she'd given all she could and had heard more units advancing towards her rooms, Gracia had taken the only route left open to her and jumped from the window.

The fall had not been kind to the young woman, doing considerable damage to her already weary and battered body, and the heat of the flames was sapping away her last reserves of strength. But stopping was out of the question. She couldn't fall now. She _couldn't_. She hadn't found him yet!

“Father...”

Many years had passed since the Battle of Yamazaki; there, the person she loved more than any other, the man who had been the centre of her _world_ , had vanished. Everyone had assumed him dead, but not her. Gracia had remained faithful, despite what those around her said, and had done everything she could to try and find him again. Akechi Mitsuhide was too strong, too brave, too wonderful to simply die like that.

Just because so much time had passed without any word of him, just because Gracia had not earned so much as a glimpse of his kind eyes, it didn't mean the doubters were right!

He needed her. She would find him. She _would_. These cruel invaders would not end Gracia's important mission!

Coughing, the courageous redhead stopped walking to look around and listen carefully. It was not an easy thing to do, as her mind was growing ever more cloudy as time passed, but it was enough for her to detect the sounds of clinking metal that heralded the arrival of more soldiers. It was also enough to inform her that there was only one route out of the inferno that was closing in around her, and that the route was likely now filled with the soldiers she could hear.

Tears pricked at Gracia's eyes. No! No, no, _no_! They were not going to stop her! She had to escape!

“Stay back!” she yelled, as loud as she could (the effort hurting her throat). “I... I won't hesitate! I swear, I'll hurt you i-if you come near me!”

Gracia tried to adopt her fighting stance as the sounds came closer, despite the complaints of her painful muscles. Moments later the figure of a man appeared, a mere silhouette against the orange light of the fire; he was running with speed and urgency, no weapon drawn or aggression in his bearing. Gracia's heart swelled in response. Was it... was it maybe...

“Father?” she called out, dropping her hands and stepping forward. “Oh, father, you're alive, I always knew you...”

The words died as the man came into full view.

It was not Akechi Mitsuhide who had come to try and rescue Gracia, but her husband, Hosokawa Tadaoki. A man who loved her, a man who tried to protect her, and most definitely someone she could count as an ally, but... he was not her father, and was, indeed, someone who had stopped her from going out to look for her father many times.

Gracia fell to the floor just as Tadaoki reached her; had he not caught her in time, she would have ended up fully on her back and staring at the dark sky. Instead she found herself staring at her husband. It was hard to make out his expression, Gracia's vision now fading as the last spark of life within her began to fade, but she could just about see relief fading away as fear took hold.

“Gracia!” Tadaoki's voice was cracked and desperate. “Keep your eyes open! Don't you dare close them!”

“Lord husband, I thought you were father,” Gracia replied, her voice now a quiet murmur. “I need to find him. Will you help, this time?”

“Stop! Stop this! Your father is dead, but you are alive, and you must stay alive! Stay alive with _me_! You don't need anyone else, Gracia!”

“It doesn't matter what I need. He needs _me_. I just... I just know it...”

She tipped her head back a little, wondering, as she had done many times in the past, why nobody understood that. It wasn't about what Gracia wanted! It _wasn't_! Her father was probably very lonely, very sad. Without Motochika around any more, who else could save him from that depression?

Yes, she _did_ want to see his face again, but that wasn't the reason behind her search.

“He needs me...” Gracia repeated, closing her eyes. She heard Tadaoki scream her name then, and again, and over and over and over until every sound around her died out. In the ensuing quiet, she was left with nothing but her beloved father on her mind.

Gracia would not give up. It didn't matter if it took another year, or a hundred, or even a thousand. She would find him, she would save him, she would make everything okay again. Nothing was going to stop her, this time.

_I'm coming, father... I promise..._

**Author's Note:**

> This serves as a prequel of sorts to an upcoming ficlet of mine, which will be much longer. Watch this space!


End file.
